Egfroth is not a saint! He is ordinary. He solves no mysteries and creates no work of art. He follows the lead of others. This fictional monk comes to Lindisfarne as a child of ten, two years after Saint Aidan founded the monastery.
He dies, as an old man of seventy-two, a year after the ‘elevation’ of Saint Cuthbert’s body. He lives through this most fascinating period of Northumbrian history and, as an old man, tells stories about his life and times to a fascinated young monk who has only just joined the monastery after experiencing a healing which took place at Saint Cuthbert’s tomb.
We join Pangur, Egfroth’s beloved cat, as he eavesdrops on his master telling these stories to Brother John.
Kate Tristram has written an entertaining and accessible account of the remarkable years of the 7th century Golden Age of Northumbria from the viewpoint of a fictional monk called Egfroth and his cat.
She tells the story of Saint Aidan coming to Lindisfarne at the request of King Oswald, the traumatic events of the Synod of Whitby, the ministry of the charismatic Saint Cuthbert, the creation of the Lindisfarne Gospels and the emergence of the great historian The Venerable Bede.
Like Bede, Kate Tristram is an historian and author; she has lived and worked on the Holy Island of Lindisfarne, at the heart of this story,
for forty years. Combining her detailed knowledge of the era with a delightfully light touch, she provides a succinct overview of the momentous events that stamped their mark firmly on the religious, cultural and artistic life of our nation.
Kate approached us several years ago with a view to publishing this wonderful story and we've have worked with her to get the manuscript ready. Mary has contributed various drawings to this project.
This book is perfect bound, A5 size (14.8x21cm) 100 pages.
Try turning the pages in the preview version below. Clicking on a page will move it forwards and backwards.